Wordless Wednesday - Spring Bloom

Another Sketch and some pictures!!

This space has been silent for a few days now as I didn't really have an book review or a recipe to post. I haven't picked up a new book(as I haven't finished the last ones) so I am skipping the Teaser Tuesday this week.

I have been seeing such beautiful paintings and art work on Bhargavi's Blog and was tempted to post one of my little sketching. If you have seen them yet just check it now.

Well, this little sketch isn't really a good work. But, I just wanted to post something ;-)!

Well, if this black and white sketch isn't looking that impressing then, here are some colourful ones for you!Last weekend was a long bank holiday weekend and the weather was nice and pleasant. So, we had been to the National Botanical Gardens here. I got to take a lot of pictures and here are a few pictures.

This one is my favourite! I have not seen Tulips of this variety before!

I love this one too! Isn't it colourful!

And last one!

 I will be posting a few more beautiful pictures tommorow for Wordless Wednesday. Till then take care! Thanks for stopping by! Cheers

Celebration Chocolate Cake With Fudge Frosting (Eggless)

Chocolate has a special place in my heart. The very thought of it sets my mouth water and so when it comes to baking a special cake, a 'Chocolate Cake' comes to mind at the very first instant. I have made it quite many times and it has always been a hit. I love this recipe because it is eggless (it has to be) and infact vegan(with no butter or dairy product, I mean just the cake not the frosting). I am not vegan, so I didn't go all the way to make a vegan frosting.

This cake recipe was passed on by a friend and I had jotted it down in a paper.I don't where I kept it but I know its somewhere safe ;-). So, I googled for one and found this. It is a very easy recipe with no fancy ingredients, even beginners can try it. I made it for our 3rd marriage anniversary and needless to say, it was a hit!

Here is the recipe:

(Click here for the printable version)
Ingredients:

11/2 cup AP Flour.
1 cup sugar.
3 tbsp cocoa powder.
1 tsp baking soda.
1/2 tsp salt.
5 tbsp oil ( I use sunflower oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract.
1 tbsp white vinegar.
1 cup water.

Process:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 C and grease two 8 inch round sandwich tins.

2. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients and shift so that it is well mixed and uniform. Make a hole in the centre.

3. Add the oil, vanilla extract and water and whisk it to combine it all. Add the vinegar and very quickly blend it lightly. Immediately pour the batter equally in the greased tins and bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes.

4. To test if its done insert a skewer in the middle and if it comes out clean, cake is perfectly baked.

5. Take it out and run a knife through the sides of the cake and let it rest for 15 minutes to half an hour before taking it out of the tin.

6. Cool it completly before proceeding for the icing.

For the fudge frosting:

100 g milk chocolate (or dark chocolate or a combination of both)

1 cup icing sugar.
4 tbsp butter soft
5 tbsp milk or cream
1 tsp vanilla essence

Also required:

Sugar syrup made with a teaspoon of sugar and water

Process:

1.  Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Pour all the ingredients into a heat proof bowl and place it over a pan containing boiling water. Stir the ingredients as it melts. The bowl should not touch the water. Alternately, you can microwave the chopped chocolates till it melts.

2. Take it off gas once nicely melted and beat well. Once the cake is cooled completely, place one half upside down and brush it nicely with the sugar syrup. It will keep the cake moist.

3. Pour the freshly prepared icing and cover it quickly. Place the second half and pour rest of the icing working it quickly before it is cooled and starts settling.  With a warm palette knife smoothen it as quickly as possible.

For the decoration I used:

Grated chocolate, cocoa powder, chocolate hearts and chocolate lace border. That's a lot of chocolate I know but for a chocoholic like me its GREAT! :-) (huge grin)!!

For chocolate hearts, I made outlines of little hearts on a parchment/greaseproof paper and turned it upside down. In a handmade cone made from parchment paper or plastic, I filled melted chocolate and closed the other end. I cut a small peice of the pointed end off the cone and filled the heart oultines with melted chocolate and left them to set. Once set, I lifted them and kept them in refrigerator till needed for decoration.

I got the idea of lace border from here. Deeba's PAB is an inspiration for me and I am always awestruck by her pictures. This time the lace border was not that perfect, but I am sure it will be with practice.

Notes:

1. After adding the vinegar, do not beat the batter much or else it will not rise. You have to be real quick at this stage.

2. It can be baked in 1 large 8 inch line and then slit it in the middle. But, I prefer to bake it separately.

3. Greasing the cake tin properly before baking and letting the cake cool down before taking it out it is very important.

4. The cake tastes great with or without frosting. It can also be served warm (30 secs in microwave) with a scoop of vanilla icecream and chocolate sauce!

Here is a piece for you. ;-)!

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday - Flowers

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel is a unbelievably fascinating story of Piscine Motilor Patel nicknamed as Pi and his arduous 227 days journey on a life boat in the dangerous pacific waters.

Pi lives in Pondicherry with his parents and brother Ravi. He is an intelligent child and is always eager to learn new things in life. His father is the owner of Pondicherry Zoo and thus Pi also has a sound knowledge of raising animals and zoo keeping. He is very spiritual and despite being born Hindu, he is attracted towards the preaching of Christianity and Islam and follows all the three religions avidly.

When Pi is 14 years old, his father decides to leave India for foreign shores. He sells off the zoo and most of the animals to various American and Indian zoo to set sail for Canada. They leave India with the animals as cargo on the ship. On the way to Canada, the unthinkable happens. Tsimtsum sinks and from there starts the incredible story of survival of Pi.

As the only surviving human from the shipwreck, Pi finds himself in the company of a dying Zebra, a hyena, an Orag-Utan and a 450 lbs Royal Bengal Tiger in a life boat. It is his wit, unerring faith in the Almighty and his desire to live that kept him going and in the end against all odds his determination wins.

The book has oodles of wisdom on various perspective of life which will make you ponder over things which we normally take for granted. It is a book not to be rushed upon. It should be read slowly savouring each and every details of it. I must admit I found the first 50 pages a bit drag and painstakingly slow and boring. Yet, there was something that kept me stuck to reading it, the words from the author's note kept ringing in my ears ~ 'it is a story that will make you believe in God' and there was no looking back. It is written mostly in first person in the voice of Pi with the exception of the a few short chapters from the author and the author's note where he tells how he came across this incredible human being and his incredulous story of survival.

I am really short of words to explain what to expect from the book. Yann Martel is a master story teller who has woven a tale so incredulous and surreal that any logic would deny it and still in your heart, you would want to believe it. I would just say, read it to find it yourself.

There are some excerpts from the book, I would like to share:

"I was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the pacific, hanging on to an oar, an adult tiger in front of me, sharks beneath me, a storm raging about me. Had I considered my prospects in the light of reason, I  would have given up and let go of the oar, hoping I might drown before being eaten. But, I don't recall that I had a single thought during those first minutes of relative safety. I didn't even notice daybreak. I held on to the oar, I just held on, God only know why."

" I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever , treacherous adversary, how well I know."

"So, I drifted. Winds and currents decided where I went. Time became distance for me in the way it is for all mortals- I traveled down the road of life- and I did other things with my fingers than to try to measure latitude."

Life of Pi by Yann Martel won the Man Booker Prize in 2002.